Welcome to Kentucky Children's Hospital

As an integral part of UK HealthCare, Kentucky Children's Hospital consolidates our extensive array of comprehensive pediatric services
under one roof.

At Kentucky Children's Hospital, it's the people that make our healing environment one-of-a-kind. Doctors, nurses and other health care professionals work as a team to treat and to heal this region's children. Since its inception, Kentucky Children's Hospital has greatly benefited from a community of generous donors. It's through their support that the children's hospital continues to grow and flourish.

But don't just take our word for it, experience it yourself by viewing the video below. And, thank you to our gracious donors for their unwavering support of Kentucky Children's Hospital.

Send email greetings

Send an e-message to a friend or loved one that is currently hospitalized to brighten their day. We hand-deliver your message to patients at Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Markey Cancer Center and the Kentucky Children's Hospital.

New Babies

See photos of new babies born at UK Chandler Hospital and leave messages for the family in the Web nursery.

Stories of Children We Helped

A prenatal ultrasound revealed a bowel blockage, neonatal surgery was the answer.

The addition of the MR Diagnostics Incubator System nomag IC will allow KCH neonatologists to visualize the brain structures of high-risk infants born before 25 weeks of gestation, as well as infants who suffered from oxygen deprivation, also known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, before delivery.

The state-of-the-art incubator will prevent the need for sedation in newborns, who are already susceptible to hypothermia and other complications that could exacerbate their conditions. As a benefit for the neonatal intensive care unit staff, the incubator, which custom fits into the MRI machine, will simplify the process of transporting an infant.

The UK Division of Neonatology specializes in caring for the smallest and most fragile newborn babies, some of them weighing less than 700 grams. UK has the only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit - the highest level for the most complex care - in the region and last year had nearly 900 patient admissions. The division offers a well-developed and comprehensive clinical care service and a rapidly growing research program.

While most premature infants will not need an MRI right away, Dr. Peter Giannone, chief of the Division of Neonatology and vice chair of Pediatric Research, said conducting MRIs on extremely premature babies prior to discharge is becoming a standard of practice in major medical centers specializing in care for these patients.

The incubator will also serve an important function enabling the collection of data for an ongoing study within the UK Department of Pediatrics, which is investigating the developmental implications of brain bleeds commonly diagnosed in premature babies.

"We will be able to put the baby in the incubator, connect specially designed monitoring equipment, and take the baby down to the MRI, with the anticipation of doing the MRI without sedation," Giannone said. "This will be a much safer way to do MRIs on our babies."

Giannone and John Bauer, Ph.D, a researcher in the Department of Pediatrics, are leading a randomized placebo-controlled trial looking at whether the delayed clamping of the umbilical cord at birth can improve blood flow to the brain and reduce the risk of brain lesions in the earliest premature babies. The research trial is supported by a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2015) — Kohl’s Department Stores recently donated $89,833 to Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) to support the Kohl’s Read to Your Baby program, a hospital initiative encouraging parents read to their children during the earliest stages of life.

Dr. Donna Grigsby, chief of general pediatrics at KCH, has used these funds to raise public awareness by promoting the importance of reading to babies at events and making reading resources available to parents across the Commonwealth. The Kohl’s Read to Your Baby program offers free children's books during infant and toddler storytimes at dozens of libraries across Kentucky. In addition to preparing children for future success in school, reading to infants and toddlers on a daily basis helps calm them and foster healthy parent-child bonding.

"Studies have shown that reading aloud to your infant is the single most important factor in helping your child’s language development and love of reading," Grigsby said. "We are so grateful to Kohl’s for their support of our mission to encourage families and caregivers to read to their babies."

Kohl's commitment to KCH is made possible through the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program. Through this initiative, Kohl’s sells $5 books and plush toys, and 100 percent of net profits benefits children’s health and education programs nationwide, including hospital partnerships like this one. Kohl’s has raised more than $274 million through this merchandise program. Kohl’s has donated more than $1.2 million to KCH since 2000.

For more information about the benefits of reading to children and a list of baby-friendly books, visit readtoyourbabyky.com.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 16, 2015) -- The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees on Monday approved a plan for the next phase of the UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital's Pavilion A that includes completion of another 64-bed patient floor and more operating rooms.

Upon completion of this phase, six of the eight clinical floors will be occupied and the tower will be 81 percent complete.

The plan for this phase calls for $75 million to be financed with agency funds to fit-out the 11th floor of the Pavilion A patient care facility. Additionally, radiology services will be relocated and expanded in Pavilion A, the hospital's blood bank will relocate, and six more operating rooms will be fit-out including an additional hybrid OR. In 2012, UK HealthCare opened one of the country's largest hybrid operating rooms and eight state-of-the-art operating rooms in Pavilion A.

Additionally, the Board approved for construction to begin as part of a plan to renovate and upgrade UK Good Samaritan's Emergency Department (ED). Approximately 12,090 square feet of the ED will be renovated in phases during the next two to three years. Improvements include space dedicated to patient care such as private patient rooms, expanded service capabilities and improved staff support space. The project also will expand the patient and family waiting area by approximately 1,250 square feet.

Since opening the first two patient care floors in Pavilion A in May 2011, UK HealthCare has experienced an increase in volume of patients that has placed substantial capacity constraints on hospital system operations, requiring the fit-out of Pavilion A to ensure availability of adequate facilities for patient care.

"Our rapid growth -- going from 25th to 75th percentile among academic medical centers -- has led to us playing 'catch up' for the past decade to meet current patient demands for our services that include care for the most critically ill patients who need complex and advanced subspecialty care," said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for health affairs. "UK HealthCare is the only provider in the Commonwealth, and in this region, for some of these very high-level services and our ability to care for these patients is very important for the people we serve and their families."

The eighth floor of Pavilion A -- a state-of-the-art 64 bed cardiovascular patient unit -- opened in December 2014 and construction to fit-out the ninth and 10th floors of the patient care facility is underway. In addition to those two patient floors, the Board in June 2014 also approved replacement of the hospital kitchen and cafeteria, relocation of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Pavilion A and relocation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 11, 2015) – Providing exceptional care to patients and families is one of the things the nurses at UK HealthCare do best. To ensure the tradition of excellence, UK HealthCare will hold a nurse recruitment open house for experienced nurses, advanced practice nurses, and recent and upcoming nursing graduates.

Respiratory Therapy and Rehab Services will also be on hand to recruit interested respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapist assistant and occupational therapist assistant candidates. The open house will take place from 5 - 9 p.m. March 12 at UK Chandler Hospital on the ground floor of Pavilion A.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with patient care managers and service directors, physicians and staff nurses at UK HealthCare, including UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Kentucky Children's Hospital, UK Good Samaritan Hospital, Eastern State Hospital and UK affiliates from Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center. Nurse Recruiters will be available to answer questions about employment opportunities.

"UK HealthCare is excited to host this upcoming event as we showcase all the great opportunities that await the ideal candidate; along with displaying on-going excellence in evidence-based practice by nurses throughout the enterprise," said Shayne Stratton, UK HealthCare manager, nurse recruitment. "Nurses at UK HealthCare continue to provide excellence ‘to every patient, every time’."

Refreshments will be provided as well as tours of UK's patient care facility and a key opportunity to hear from UK HealthCare Chief Nurse Executive Colleen Swartz. Parking will be available in the hospital parking garage located at 110 Transcript Ave. Parking tickets will be validated at registration.

To RSVP for nursing, visit ukhealtlhcare.uky.edu/nursingjobs or for more information, go to ukhealthcare.uky.edu/nursing.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2015) — UK HealthCare has received approval from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Certificate of Need to add 120 patient beds. The application for the Certificate of Need to increase the number of licensed beds was filed in October 2014 and notice of approval has been received.

"This approval allows us to move forward in our strategic plan and further our mission to take care of patients throughout the Commonwealth who need our advanced subspecialty care and destination services," said Dr. Michael Karpf, University of Kentucky vice president for health affairs.

UK HealthCare’s previous licensing was for 825 beds but after experiencing consistently greater than 80 percent occupancy of its patient beds — the industry standard for efficiency — it was determined that a total bed capacity of approximately 945 beds will be required to meet future needs at UK Chandler Hospital, Kentucky Children’s Hospital and UK Good Samaritan Hospital.

"About 10 years ago, we committed to develop UK HealthCare into a research intensive, referral academic medical center to ensure all Kentuckians — no matter how complex their medical problem — could be taken care of in Kentucky and not required to leave the state for advanced subspecialty medical care," said Karpf. "This strategy, while crucial to our goal of taking care of patients in the Commonwealth, has resulted in substantial growth beyond our initial aggressive projections."

This unanticipated growth in patient volume has led UK HealthCare to change plans throughout the past decade to meet increasing demand. Although the initial proposal in 2005 was for the Pavilion A patient care facility to be constructed as a replacement facility, continued and accelerated demand has led for the need to fit-out Pavilion A as well as keep patient care areas in the original UK Chandler Hospital (Pavilion H) open and operational for the foreseeable future.

Currently, Pavilion A is nearly two-thirds completed. It has opened in phases beginning in July 2010 with the Emergency Department that includes both a pediatric and adult Level-1 trauma center. In addition, 192 patient rooms are completed and open including a state-of-the-art 64 bed cardiovascular patient unit which opened in December 2014. Pavilion A also currently contains an observation unit, nine operating rooms including a state-of-the-art Hybrid Operating Room, 43 pre-op and post anesthesia care beds; surgery waiting area and a retail pharmacy, among other features and areas.

Construction has begun on the next two patient floors (ninth and 10th floors) with a total addition of 128 beds. Also currently under construction, or approved for construction, is replacement of the hospital kitchen and cafeteria, relocation of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Pavilion A, relocation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and a new entryway and family support space for Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Since 2006, UK has invested more than $763 million in modern, state-of-the-art patient care facilities.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 27, 2015) — A mother's embrace couldn't settle a fidgety Snayder Menendez Quinones for more than a few seconds in the Pavilion A lobby of the UK Chandler Hospital. But Maria Quinones was relieved to see her 3-year-old son return to his playful self after recovering from surgery at Kentucky Children's Hospital.

The timid and afraid boy who arrived at UK HealthCare on Sept. 23, 2014, was now gleeful and talkative. The sausage-like lesion on his lip was gone, replaced by a scar in the corner of his mouth. His mother was no longer afraid of his toddler tumbles, which could have resulted in major bleeding before the tumor was removed.

"I worry less about him getting hurt playing with other kids," she said. "He is starting school, and I was afraid he would get bullied."

In a tribal village bordering the Amazon jungle, Snayder was born with a small vascular tumor inside his mouth. As Snayder continued to grow and develop in his first year of life, the lesion also grew substantially in size. Eventually the lesion encompassed most of the inside of his cheek, the floor of his tongue and, most noticeably, a large portion of his lower lip. In addition to interfering with speech development and eating, the lesion weighed down Snayder's lower lip and caused frequent bleeding from the mouth. Because of the abnormality, he was ostracized in his community.

Snayder's family sought out help from local doctors, but none were willing to remove the lesion because of the high risk of complications, such as bleeding and scarring. According to UK HealthCare plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Vasconez, total removal of the lesion would have resulted in the loss of three-quarters of the child's face. His condition was more complex, requiring surgical intervention as well as steroids to stunt the growth of the lesion.

"The child was born with this at birth, but it was small," Vasconez said. "As is common with these type of congenital abnormalities, it continued to grow, and it would only get bigger until it became very large."

Dr. Thomas Young, a UK professor and director of the UK Shoulder to Shoulder Global program, met Snayder and his mother while serving in the program's year-round health clinic in Santa Domingo. He brought photos of Snayder's lesion to Vasconez, the William S. Farish Endowed Chair of Plastic Surgery at UK HealthCare, who is also a native of Ambato, Ecuador.

As a first step, Vasconez contacted a colleague in Quito, Ecuador, to inquire about the possibility of treating the lesion in Snayder's home country. After some deliberation about the complexities involved with Snayder's condition, Vasconez's colleague opted not to perform the necessary surgery. Vasconez and Young presented the case to officials at UK HealthCare and rallied support for Snayder and his mother to travel to Kentucky for treatment.

When Snayder came to UK HealthCare last September, Vasconez first examined the mass to determine the most effective course of action that would not further damage the child's appearance. He operated on the mass to remove the most abnormal parts. Through the surgery, he was able to remove 50 percent of the lesion and inject a sclerosing agent to stop growth in a remaining 25 percent. A few days after the surgery, Snayder was saying words, eating properly and showing good control of his mouth.

"It's quite satisfying to be able to help someone who would not otherwise receive care," Vasconez said. "This 3-year-old would be pretty much an outcast otherwise."

Vasconez received his medical degree in Ecuador but completed a residency and specialty training in pediatric surgery in the United States. He has worked at UK HealthCare for more than 27 years. In addition to helping with special cases identified through the Shoulder to Shoulder clinic, Vasconez has conducted outreach through his own charitable mission in Ecuador for more than 20 years. Every year, he organizes a group of 80 to 90 medical volunteers to conduct clinics and perform surgery in impoverished areas of the country.

While Vasconez said Ecuador is a beautiful country with many natural resources, it is also a very typical Third World country in need of support. Half of the population fall into a low income category and have little access to health care.

"Like this child, if they can't get something done in their community or village, they usually can't get anything done," Vasconez said. "If it was life-threatening or disfiguring, they would just have to live with it.

"This was a way for me to get back to that country and try to give back," he said.

Vasconez returns to Ecuador for a medical mission in February. Those interested in knowing more about the connections between Kentucky and Ecuador can learn more through the Kentucky Partners of the Americas at http://kentuckyecuadorpartners.org/.

The UK Shoulder to Shoulder program would like to thank American Airlines, Healing the Children and UK HealthCare for supporting this child.

"We use lots of scary things, and they go through scary procedures," Emily Turner, a nurse in the PICU, said. "Usually they are very sick while they are here."

But the welcoming grins of cartoon characters, a pleasant barnyard scene and sparkling princess carriages are happy and comforting images for children in the busy, intense PICU environment. Paintings of friendly childhood characters, figures and scenes adorn windows to seven patient rooms in the PICU. The colorful paintings provided by a group of UK art education students brighten the atmosphere for children and families going through a difficult time, as well as the nursing staff that cares for patients in critical situations.

"We just want it to be kid-friendly, appropriate, and to make them feel a little more joyous," Turner said.

The UK Art Education Student Chapter (AESC), a student organization that prepares its members for careers in art education, volunteered their time and artistic talents to paint child-friendly scenes and characters on the glass windows. The UK chapter is led by faculty adviser Beth Mosher Ettensohn. Turner, a member of the Culture Council at Kentucky Children's Hospital, and fellow nurses in the PICU took personal time to paint the windows last year. After convening with the Culture Council this summer, Turner reached out to students in the School of Art and Visual Studies requesting help with painting the PICU windows. The students started painting the windows in November and will continue to maintain the paintings throughout 2015.

Contributing art to the PICU was especially meaningful to Ettensohn, whose son fought and survived a rare form of cancer in 1998. Ettensohn recalls long stays in intensive care units, both at Kentucky Children's Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Ettensohn valued the support and encouragement of the KCH nursing staff who worked with her son.

"You could tell they were working as a team and every person cared about who they were treating," Ettensohn said of the nurses. "They would take that extra step to help families manage the insanity that comes with caregiving a critically ill child."

As the family member of a patient, the art professor appreciated seeing vitality and variety in hospital décor. She believes a positive visual environment is essential to everyone's health.

“What we see has a profound effect on what we do, how we feel, and who we are. An engaging visual environment is essential to our health,” Ettensohn said.

Ashley Worley, the vice president of the AESC, has noticed family members of patients looking over her shoulder as she paints. She said painting one scene on a window could take as long as two or three hours. Engaging future art educators in community service is part of the AESC's mission. Worley, who plans to become an art teacher, feels gratified sharing her artwork with families and medical workers in a challenging and sometimes dreary environment.

"The children are really sick, so even if one painting can make a child smile, then that makes a difference," Worley said.

The AESC is an official UK student organization sponsored by the UK School of Art and Visual Studies. Members are undergraduate and graduate art education students. Find out more at http://ukaesc.weebly.com/

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 22, 2014) – UK HealthCare has temporarily amended its inpatient hospital visitation policy to be proactive in helping protect the health and well-being of patients and health care workers during this flu season. Visitation restrictions are in effect as of 7 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22.

The measures include:

oNo visitors under the age of 12

oNo visitors with any symptoms of flu-like illness

oOnly two visitors will be permitted in a patient’s room at one time

oVisitors may be issued masks or other protective clothing for use when visiting

oAdditional restrictions may be in place in special care units such as women's and children’s units, critical care and oncology units.

oCompassionate visitation exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

"Due to an increasing number of flu cases in Kentucky, UK HealthCare will be instituting these procedures designed to help protect patients, visitors and staff from exposure to the flu and are in effect at all UK HealthCare inpatient units including University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, Kentucky Children's Hospital, UK Good Samaritan Hospital and Eastern State Hospital," said Kim Blanton, enterprise director for infection prevention and control at UK HealthCare.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the flu was widespread in 29 of the 54 states and territories that it tracks -- including Kentucky. This time last year, it was widespread in only four.

It is still recommended everyone six months of age and older who hasn't received a flu shot yet, receive one, Blanton said. "A flu vaccine is still the first and best way to prevent influenza," she said.

Flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Flu antiviral drugs are available and work best for treatment when they are started within two days of getting sick. However, starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high risk health condition or is very sick from the flu.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2014) — More than a decade ago, Ruth Berry and Gail Carpenter retired from longtime careers practicing and teaching nursing to college students. But even in retirement, the two friends and former colleagues are drawn back to the health care setting where they continue to serve patients in meaningful ways.

Wearing the volunteer uniform of pale blue button-down shirts and navy blue slacks, the retirees sort through piles of mail, organize a cart full of cookies and help families navigate the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital. During the Thursday morning shift they share at the UK HealthCare Volunteer Office, they deliver mail, bouquets of balloons and flower arrangements to patients throughout the hospital.

Often during deliveries, they will offer to open and read mail to incapacitated patients. As former nurses, they are well-versed on bedside manner and sensitive to the health care circumstances affecting each patient. Although their role today is on the periphery of medical care, they know a few moments to sit and listen could make a difference in the patient's life.

"Going into a room in pediatrics where a child is alone, and opening up the mail for them and spending a few moments with them — those are precious moments just to be able to talk to them," Berry said. "They might not have family member there all day."

When asked why they volunteer, Carpenter and Berry say their roles keep them connected to the health care profession, but they also enjoy the camaraderie of the volunteer office. Both women retired from faculty positions in the UK College of Nursing and at Lexington Community College (now known as Bluegrass Community and Technical College) and are now members of the hospital's auxiliary board of directors. Berry and Carpenter first became acquainted as colleagues from their involvement in the university community and professional organizations. Carpenter, who retired in 1997, helped recruit Berry to the volunteer office after she retired in 2000.

Carpenter's interest in a profession in nursing started in high school when she learned of a friend's sister who was completing a nursing program in New York City. She was attracted to a profession caring for people and was fascinated by the science of nursing. She accepted a position teaching fundamental courses and pediatric nursing at Lexington Community College in 1976 and eventually become coordinator of LCC's nursing program, retiring in 1997.

Berry, whose mother was a neonatal nurse who emigrated from Germany, read the popular Sue Barton series of youth novels when she was young, which sparked her interest in a nursing career. At the age of 14, she started working as a nurse's aide in a local hospital. While she originally intended to study chemistry in college, she chose to study nursing at the collegiate level. She joined the faculty of the UK College of Nursing in the Department of Public Health Nursing in 1965, and after a period of time away from the profession, returned to the department in 1986. During her time at UK, she established a health clinic for the homeless and a parish nursing program, retiring from her role in 2000.

"I always liked helping and being with folks," Berry said.

When she first started volunteering, Carpenter was assigned to assist with a health clinic run by Berry, who was still working as a faculty member. Berry was thrilled to have Carpenter, a former nurse, as a volunteer in her clinic. Carpenter also volunteered as a patient liaison in the surgery department for several years before she changed roles to delivering mail and flowers. After her retirement, Berry decided to join Carpenter as a UK HealthCare volunteer on Thursdays. She also works in the auxiliary gift shop, which is primarily staffed by volunteers, on Mondays.

In addition to serving together at on a weekly basis, the women fill their schedules with volunteer roles for the Lexington Public Library, God's Pantry and the Department of Veteran's Affairs hospital. They are members of the same theater club, which meets several times a year. Outside of the volunteer office, Berry said Carpenter is a reliable friend. Carpenter has helped Berry through periods of hospitalization, picking her up for appointments at 5 a.m.

"(Volunteering) is more enjoyable when I know we can be there together and we can catch up at some of our other events," Berry said of Carpenter. "If we have concern about something, we can share it with each other."

As volunteers, Berry and Carpenter have heard many stories and met many interesting people of all ages. They have developed a sense of community and purpose within the hospital through their involvement. They are always encouraging others to become new volunteers at UK HealthCare as help is constantly needed for patients and visitors.

"We get to see how the medical center really works," Carpenter said of volunteers. "We have a way of helping people navigate them through this physical maze at the medical center — it's enjoyable to do."

In results from a Centers for Disease Control survey, the UK HealthCare Birthing Center ranked in the 83rd percentile nationally and in the 97th percentile in the state. The Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) is a national survey of maternity care practices and policies conducted every two years. The survey obtains information about birthing center services and practices, including breastfeeding assistance, infant nutrition, skin-to-skin bonding, postpartum care, patient discharge procedures and more. UK HealthCare was among the 82 percent of 2,666 birthing facilities surveyed nationally that responded to the self-reported survey in 2013, with results recently released in 2014.

In 2007, the year the mPINC survey was introduced, UK HealthCare's Birthing Center scored in the 13th percentile nationally. The department raised its score to rank in the 45th percentile in 2011.

Gwen Moreland, interim assistant chief nurse executive at Kentucky Children's Hospital, attributed the department's improvement to a team of doctors and nurses committed to evidence-based practices in maternal care services. The Birthing Center has adopted practices and procedures scientifically proven to be beneficial for mother and baby.

Nurses and doctors facilitate skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, transfer mother and baby as a couplet to the mother and baby unit, limit the amount of time a baby is away from his or her mother, and provided lactation specialists to help mother and baby adjust to breastfeeding. In addition, leaders within the department have introduced annual training sessions on up-to-date maternal care policies and procedures for nurses and doctors.

"I think it really validates the hard work and dedication of the nursing and physician staff," Moreland said of the CDC ranking. "We are more focused on quality outcomes and evidence-based care."

UK HealthCare is currently making strides toward a Baby-Friendly accreditation from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). American hospitals can achieve this accreditation by offering an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother/baby bonding.

While working toward this goal, the birthing department was one of 92 birthing centers in the nation, and the only in Kentucky, to receive the Best Fed Beginnings Grant from the National Institute for Children's Health Quality in 2012. UK HealthCare follows the 10 Steps to Successful Breast Feeding outlined by the Baby-Friendly Initiative and provides patients with breastfeeding support at its Mommy and Me Clinic.

This Your Health column first appeared in the Nov. 16 edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 17, 2014) — Every morning, parents send their children out the door with homework, lunch money and backpacks. But one item many teens are carrying today could seriously jeopardize their safety as they cross the streets.

Distractions caused by smart phones, headphones and other mobile devices are making walking more dangerous for all pedestrians, but a new report suggests teens are especially at risk. More than half of teens admit to crossing streets while distracted by a mobile device.

According to a recent Safe Kids International and FedEx survey, every hour, a teen pedestrian is injured or killed after being hit by a car in the United States. In a survey of 1,000 teens, 40 percent reported being hit or almost hit by a car, bike or motorcycle while walking. In 2012, 10,000 teens were injured in a pedestrian accident, and teens account for two-thirds of all child pedestrian fatalities in the country.

Most teens involved in incidents also reported using a mobile device, including a music player or cellphone, at the time they were hit or nearly hit. Twenty percent of teens were talking on the phone, 18 percent were texting and 47 percent were listening to the music at the time of the incident. As of September 2012, 78 percent of teens owned a cellphone and 37 percent owned a smartphone. Sixty-three percent of teens said almost everyone they know walks and texts at the same time. Additionally, pedestrian run-ins with vehicles can be attributed to risky crossing behaviors, such as running across the street or crossing in the middle of a block.

To prevent pedestrian accidents, parents and teens should discuss a few safety points:

Take action against distraction. In 2012, 15-year-old Christina Morris-Ward was killed while crossing a street just two blocks from her high school. She was wearing headphones and looking at her phone when she was struck. In Christina's memory, many teens are taking the Moment of Silent Pledge and putting down their phones while walking and crossing the street. Talk to your children about making this important pledge.

Review basic pedestrian safety rules. Stay on sidewalks and use crosswalks. If no sidewalks are available, walk facing traffic as far away from oncoming vehicles as possible.

Instruct teens to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street. Pedestrians should also watch out for cars that are turning. If they won't they won't remove headphones while walking, advise them to turn down their music before crossing a street.

To review the Teens on the Move Survey produced by Safe Kids International, visit www.SafeKids.org.

Sherri Hannan is a registered nurse and the director of Safe Kids Fayette County based at UK HealthCare.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 13, 2014) — The Kentucky Children's Hospital's Division of Adolescent Medicine has launched a pilot program that will offer school-based health services to teenagers in Harrison County.

Modeled after similar programs initiated by the division in Lincoln and Boyle counties, the Harrison County program is designed to connect students with an in-school health care provider who can address issues including suicide, sexual activity, depression, violence, drugs and social pressures. Through the program, a doctor from UK Adolescent Medicine will see students during school hours twice a month and a UK adolescent counselor will visit with students once a week.

Dr. Hatim Omar, chief of the division, gave a presentation on teen health during a forum in Harrison County last year. The forum was held in response to three consecutive suicides committed by Harrison County High School students. Since the forum, Omar has worked with school board officials and Passport Health insurance company to start up a school-based health program.

As part of the program, school officials will conduct a health screening of the entire student population to identify at-risk teens and inform students that help is available at school. With this program, students won't have to miss school or travel long distances to receive attention from a UK health care provider.

"We at UK HealthCare are really committed to people who want to help the state as a whole," Omar said. "We’ve been advocating school-based centers since I came to this state – and we continue to find ways to do it."

On Oct. 31, Omar led a training session in Harrison County for teachers and volunteers who will meet with students one-on-one to screen for health risks. The screening will take place throughout the month of November. The screening will be repeated at the beginning of every school year to measure health risks and the progress of the program. Omar said through this program, the Harrison County community has invested in the development and well-being of their youth.

"They're the same issues you see in teens anywhere in the state," Omar said of Harrison County. "To make a change in any place, we need healthy well-adapted kids. We help teens to be more resilient, which make them more likely to succeed."

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 3, 2014) — As the last point of contact in the process of purchasing a car at the Lexus Store of Lexington, business manager Tonja King works with customers on financing options.

Before all the paperwork is complete, King offers customers the chance to drive away with another brand new car through Lexus for the Little Ones, a car raffle sponsored by her employer that raises funds for Kentucky Children's Hospital (KCH). For King, a mother whose 1-year-old daughter underwent surgery at KCH in 2006, selling the raffle tickets is a way of giving back to the nurses, doctors and staff who treated her daughter with care and compassion during a stressful time.

In 2005, King's daughter Sydney was born with a lesion the size of a quarter on the back of her head. The lesion was an accumulation of skin cells and glands that had formed while Sydney was developing in the womb. King's Lexington pediatrician recommended pediatric surgeon Dr. Henry Vasconez at KCH perform a surgery to remove the lesion, which would reduce the risk of cancer and correct a cosmetic problem that prohibited hair growth in the area.

At the age of 1, Sydney was admitted to KCH for the surgery. King recalls the nurses keeping Sydney distracted from the surgery by pushing her around in a little racecar.

"She spent enough time with them that she thought they were the greatest and funniest things ever," King said of the KCH nursing staff.

King recalls her daughter, who was attached to her mother, trusting the nurses as the elevator doors closed on the way down to surgery. For King, it was an emotional time made easier on her family by a caring group of nurses. Now, at age 10, Sydney wears a ponytail in the spot of the lesion.

One raffle ticket holder will win a brand new 2014 Lexus ES 350 from The Lexus Store of Lexington. But every raffle ticket purchased for Lexus for the Little Ones contributes to improving facilities for children receiving treatment at KCH.

Owners of The Lexus Store of Lexington hope to raise more than $300,000 for hospital renovations in the next few years through Lexus for the Little Ones. In its inaugural year, the raffle raised $100,000 for KCH, which prompted The Lexus Store of Lexington to sponsor the new Ocean Pod, a section of aquatic-themed patient rooms that is currently under renovation.

“Giving back to the community has always been an important part of our business, and who better to support than KCH, the pediatric care center that takes care of Kentucky’s kids,” said Lexington businessman Rick Avare, co-owner of The Lexus Store of Lexington.

Raffle tickets are $100 each and can be purchased online at www.givetokch.org/lexus, in person by visiting the Lexus dealership on 1264 E. New Circle Road, or by contacting the KCH Development office at (859) 257-1179. There is no limit on the number of tickets purchased, and ticket holders do not have to be present to win. The drawing will be held at 1 p.m. in Pavilion A of the UK Chandler Hospital on Nov. 20.

“Community partners like The Lexus Store of Lexington support KCH in its commitment to providing top-notch facilities for our patients,” Dr. Carmel Wallace, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at KCH, said. “Thanks to the fundraising success of Lexus for the Little Ones, we are in the process of upgrading patient rooms. We are grateful for The Lexus Store’s efforts, and to everyone who buys a tickets to benefit Kentucky’s kids.”

The KCH Development Office welcomes groups or individuals who would like to sell raffle tickets to family, friends and colleagues. If your group is interested, please contact Chloe Hurley at chloe.hurley@uky.edu.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 16, 2014) — Children will dive into classic storybooks like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Charlotte’s Web during A Cat’s Tale Storybook Festival on Oct. 17 and 18 at the University of Kentucky Arboretum.

As they walk around the scenic Arboretum, children will engage in fun games, arts and crafts, and other activities at storybook-themed stations. During the first annual festival, children can also listen to a storyteller and have their books signed by local children’s authors. Many books will be available for purchase during the festival. Children are invited to come out in costume and collect free treats during the festival.

A Cat’s Tale will be open to the public from 2 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 17. On Oct. 18, the festival is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $5 per child, and children younger than 2 are free.

All proceeds from the event will support Child Advocacy Today, an alliance of medical and legal professionals who work to improve child welfare in Kentucky by addressing the social and environment determinants of health. The organization, which partners with Kentucky Children’s Hospital, provides assistance to income-eligible families confronted with issues affecting the health of children.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 15, 2014) – UK HealthCare will host a special symposium to mark a major anniversary: 50 years of transplantation on Friday, Oct. 24,

The UK Transplant Center is celebrating its five decades of transplant innovation, expertise and patient-centered compassionate care at UK with presentations by some of the top transplant specialist in the country.

The following featured speakers will give presentations:

Dr. Ronald Busuttil, Dumont Professor of Transplantation Surgery at UCLA, who is internationally known as a leading expert in liver transplantation, will be the keynote speaker and discuss the evolution of transplantation.

Dr. James Wynn, professor of surgery at the University of Mississippi, who previously served as president of United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) and chair of the UNOS Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Committee, will share some of his experiences at UNOS.

Dr. Bruce Lucas, UK professor emeritus of transplant surgery, and one of the first UNOS presidents, will end the day sharing historical moments from the UK Transplant Center's history.

Presenters will be joined by speakers from the UK medical staff including Dr. Roberto Gedaly, chief of abdominal transplant surgery; Dr. Charles Hoopes, director of the Transplant Center; and Dr. Jay Zwischenberger, chair of the Department of Surgery.

The symposium begins at 7:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast and concludes at noon. All remarks will be held in the Pavilion A auditorium of UK Chandler Hospital.

This event is free, but registration is required. To register, please contact Debbie Cruse at debbie.cruse@uky.edu or call (859) 218-4021 for more information.